< previous page page_192 next page >

Page 192
It was true. He did not understand. Priests preached so often of the lustful nature of women, who seduced men from the path of true virtue, as Eve had seduced Adam into eating the apple. The suspicion was always buried somewhere in a man's mind, even those men who thought they believed implicitly in the love and virtue of their wives. The preaching had its effect upon women, too. However sure they might be of their own honesty, they sadly accepted the general statement. Alinor acknowledged that William might even be right to be jealous of Isobel. She did not think so, but nonetheless she understood what he feared and was placated by his apology. She made a soothing remark and then introduced the subject of the replacement for the Archbishop of Canterbury, which kept them harmlessly occupied until they arrived at the keep.
To Alinor's horror, Ian did not arrive that evening nor the next day. Now that William and Isobel were there, the excuse that he wished to avoid gossip about their premarital relationship was no longer valid. Alinor was furious again. She could only believe he was spiting her because she had been rude in her command that he return at once. She could not make herself write to him again and fumed in private, making no attempt to explain his absence beyond telling the story of the band of outlaws. She left her guests to make the assumption that Ian was trying to arrange for the secure control of his prisoners, although why that should take three weeks Alinor did not mention. Robert of Leicester came on the 23rd, as did Sir John d'Alberinwho held Mersea for Alinor now that old Sir John was deadand a number of the castellans who held Simon's strongholds. The 24th brought Lord Llewelyn and his wife Joan, who was King John's bastard daughter. She looked much like her father and had the same beautiful voice, but in spite of her heritage she seemed to be a warm and pleasant person.
By the 25th, the keep was packed. Until now there

 
< previous page page_192 next page >